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Captain Obvious here with some life-changing news! Did you know you could pay someone money to feed your kids dinner and put them to bed while you, yourself, are not even on the premises? While your dear little ones are brushing their teeth and negotiating for an extra bedtime story (or three), you could be halfway across town eating organic beet and farro salad with shaved Parmigiano and enjoying the dulcet tones of no one whining directly into your ear holes ....more

Speaking of losing things, earlier today I stood up at the conclusion of my *ahem* daily constitutional and, while the flush was already in mid-swirl, I caught out of the corner of my eye in the mirror across the hall (pooping with the door open is truly one of the great joys of working from home) the image of a small piece of paper fluttering from my back pocket and into the bowl, where it circled a few times, slunk up into the hole, and then–as I flailed helplessly toward my porcelain adversary–peeked a corner back out, as if it were about to surface, before, alas, it succumbed to the forces of our hearty indoor plumbing, so dearly beloved in every other case but this. During the paper’s final wave of departure, I leaned in (but not too close; I’ve seen those videos) and tried to make out a word or two but could not. The notes were in my handwriting and probably recorded nothing more critical than a grocery list, and thus I am trying valiantly to not let the not-knowing drive me to madness ....more

Simon’s car got broken into in front of our house over Thanksgiving weekend (I was not thankful to discover my child’s car seat filled with broken glass), and in addition to taking the subwoofer, S’s nice sunglasses (not one of the thirty pairs of $5 ones, of course), and my child’s sunglasses (really, dude?), this person also robbed us of a bag of miscellany that included things like hand sanitizer, a multitool, pens and markers, spare change, that sort of thing. Last month when I couldn’t find the full SD card I’d taken out of my DSLR camera around that same time, I was sure it had been stolen with the lot. I remember having swapped the full card for an empty card in the car, and I couldn’t find it anywhere in the house, so it made perfect sense that it, too, was gone forever ....more

I was compensated for this post with a free review copy of the book, but YOU have a chance to win much more by entering the contest below! A potty-trained child is the gift of freedom. No more diapers, no more diaper bags, no more surprise wet spots on the furniture or the car seat or the lap dressed in dry-clean-only fabrics ....more

I’d be remiss if I didn’t repost this Easter egg craft from a few years ago. Traditional egg dyeing is fun but always turns out a little meh, so these are the techniques I use when I want something a little more showy. Theyse are still plenty fun and plenty easy (if not moreso on both counts), and they’re a sweet addition to Easter brunch if you decide to wake up and have a proper meal at a table instead of hunched over a basket of candy ....more

In an age when it seems like not just anything but everything is possible, I make a point to regularly rage, rage against the dying of wonder. The technology we have now is the stuff of dreams, and to keep myself from becoming immune to the marvels of everyday modern living, I frequently remind myself to step back from the screen(s) and acknowledge that we are living in an era of miracles. I do this most often in moments of tech-induced stress: when I’m on a work deadline and the Internet is running like cold molasses, or when my phone won’t fully load a video of a cat playing the glockenspiel whilst wearing a tiny bowler hat ....more

It took me some time for me to stop thinking of Skype as the equivalent of the expensive, low-quality, special-occasion-only long-distance phone calls from my own childhood ("Everybody shhhhh! Jessie's calling from South Carolina!"), and to start applying it to everyday uses. My mother-in-law combines long-distance with the everyday beautifully (she uses Skype every Sunday to "hang out" with her grandkids in England) and the way she's embraced the technology has changed the way I use it too....more

A few weeks ago we were hanging out with a group of newish friends, and I was reminded of the importance of having newish friends as I listened to Simon describe the general character of our relationship–a thing that doesn’t often happen with oldish friends, who have seen the relationship in action enough they’ve no need for the soundbite version, a sad thing indeed when your favorite thing to talk about is yourself (hello blog! I’ve missed you!)). “I think our relationship works,” he said, “because I’m completely predictable and she’s a total mystery ....more

Never do I feel like a more competent mother than when I can produce from my purse just the right thing at just the right moment. Got a boo-boo? I have a selection of whimsical bandages at your disposal ....more

Got a boo-boo? I have a selection of whimsical bandages at your disposal. Need to jot down a note? Take your pick of regular pencil, red pencil, pen (colors vary), marker, and random crayon of the month. Thingamabobs? I've got twenty! As for snacks, I fancy myself a one-woman traveling smorgasbord of healthy, kid-friendly nibbles, and when I'm on my game, it's a truly glorious thing....more